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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23731543">to be adored</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinya/pseuds/robinya'>robinya</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A3! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Hurt and comfort, M/M, They are just soft, self doubt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:14:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,486</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23731543</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinya/pseuds/robinya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A street act leaves Juza and Sakuya a little more emotional than usual.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hyoudou Juuza/Sakuma Sakuya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>90</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>to be adored</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“O-m-g! There they are again!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eh? What’s all the buzz about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey look, another street act! Wanna go watch?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The chatter of drama-filled Veludo never stops, it seems. Sakuya places his flyers down, keeping them from flying away with a paperweight. Well, he supposes it’s alright. The gossip makes things lively, and as long as there’s a crowd- no, even without a crowd, he’ll act the best that he can.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umm… I’ll start the act, okay!” Sakuya announces to Juza. Veludo park is lively at this hour, people walking in and out, passing the two actors who stand by the entrance. School’s out for summer vacation, and with the extra time they’ve been doing (almost) daily street acts.   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah. Come at me anytime.” Juza enjoys acting, but it’s been a little nerve wracking the past couple days. The more frequently they perform, the more people start recognizing them - before they’ve even started, a small crowd has already formed around the duo. Sakuya drew them all in, of course, doing most of the talking, but that’s alright. Juza might be too shy to speak, but he doesn’t have to be Juza all the time; as he takes a breath, he gets ready to respond to whatever Sakuya throws at him. As long as Sakuya keeps trusting him- no, even without anyone to act with, he’ll work as hard as he can.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isamu, I don’t know if we can do the trapeze act… my ankle…” Sakuya’s posture changes with the delivery of the line: he winces, slouching over, a visible limp even as he stands still. Some circus acrobats, huh? Leave it to Sakuya to come up with something interesting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shun. What happened?” ‘Isamu’ matches the situation: arms raised up as on offer for support, a concerned voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was practicing the final stunt earlier… I was so nervous about being the show’s finale for the first time. But now… I’ve let everyone down.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t talk like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s true! If only I had the confidence to do the jump, I wouldn’t have fallen on my ankle!” ‘Shun’ stomps and falls, hissing as his leg recoils from the impact. ‘Isamu’ doesn’t miss a beat, catching the shorter man in his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shun! Lean on me, it’s going to be okay. I’ll take full responsibility.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? But it’s my fault that I-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” ‘Isamu’ raises his voice, and ‘Shun’ stares at him in shock. ‘Isamu’ goes on, sounding pained. “We’re partners, you know? It’s my fault too. I should’ve been there to help you practice, or calm ya down.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I didn’t come to you for help… I didn’t want to be a burden before the show.” ‘Isamu’ looks betrayed, but says nothing of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s done is done. But I can’t do the show alone.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have to! There’s no way I can-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were meant to soar, Shun. I’ve always been your support. The people come to see you, you can’t let them down.” ‘Shun’ looks like he’s about to cry, shaking his head in silent disagreement. “Can you stand?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um… yeah, I think so.” ‘Isamu’ lets go of ‘Shun’ then, kneeling down and lacing his hands together to make a mini platform.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Step up with your good leg then.” ‘Shun’ does exactly that, uncertainty on his face, but still trusting- a display of the two acrobats bond. And then he’s in the air, propped up on one leg, ‘Isamu’ lifting him up higher and higher, supporting his weight so he doesn’t fall. When he looks down at his partner, he’s met with unadulterated devotion.    </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how tomorrow will go. But I will do everything in my power to make sure you go up on stage. They’re waiting for you- and so am I.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s overwhelming, to look into Juza’s eyes when he acts. There’s always room for improvement, no doubt, but he’s so passionate and you can </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell</span>
  </em>
  <span>, as if all of their sleepless nights in the courtyard can be described by Juza’s actions alone. It’s captivating, and Sakuya loves watching Juza act, but none of it can describe the feeling he gets when he actually acts </span>
  <em>
    <span>with</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. Maybe that’s why he decided on this skit idea. He doesn’t want to let Juza down. To improve with him, and the rest of the troupe, is what Sakuya wishes for the most.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He has no response: this is the end of their story. Tapping Juza on the shoulder twice lets him know it’s time, and he puts Sakuya down with ease. When they finally break character and look around them, they’re met with a much larger crowd than before. Actually, wait a minute- do they have enough flyers? Juza picks them up and starts handing them out, so Sakuya shouts earnestly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you so much! We’re with the Mankai Company! Please consider seeing our full shows!”         </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the crowd thins, and they run out of flyers, Sakuya stares at Juza with mirth. They’ve been doing street acts together for a while now, but that was definitely their best one yet. Talk about leaving everyone on a cliffhanger, and Juza…! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That went well! Don’t you think?” Sakuya practically bounces as they start walking away from the park. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Were you nervous?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Not really.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There were so many people this time though… and I didn’t expect you to lift me up like that! You’re so strong! It surprised me… but the audience was totally into it… oh! Do you think you can teach me how to do actual stunts?” Ah. He’s frowning. “...Juza?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Why do you keep saying that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Sakuya tilts his head in confusion, and Juza’s eyebrows furrow in frustration.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y’kno. That I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>strong</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Juza spits out the word like he’s had something sour. “I’m not as-” I’m not as strong as you. The words die in his throat and he fumbles, searching for something better to say. “All the time. When we perform, you keep saying it… I don’t understand.” Sakuya stops walking at this. He grabs Juza’s hand to keep the taller boy from moving ahead, gently leading them both out of the way of pedestrians.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what this is about really, but I admire you, Juza.” Juza’s eyes widen, his mouth opening as though to interject, so Sakuya beats him to it. “I’m not kidding either. I started training with Tasuku so that I could be more like you guys.” Juza frowns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothin’ good about physical strength. People are scared of me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not scared of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t make other people wrong. I don’t want to fight, and yet…” Juza averts his gaze, and Sakuya suddenly realizes what this is all about. With a subtle urgency, he brings Juza’s hand up to his chest, clasping it in both of his hands. When the so-called delinquent looks at him in confusion, Sakuya can’t help the words that spill out. Juza shouldn’t feel that way about himself; after all, Sakuya… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you don’t fight for the sake of fighting, do you? You protect yourself. You protect the people you care about- but you also help in other ways! You’re always carrying the groceries for the director, and helping Omi in the kitchen… I admire that. If I could become someone strong, both physically and mentally, I could be someone that people would want to stay around, I guess… I want to be someone deserving of respect.” Juza’s gaze is intense, and Sakuya is quickly grounded by the silence that follows. “Um, well what I’m trying to say is, you’re a good person!” He lets go of Juza’s hand, flustered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Juza extends his hand straight out, and Sakuya takes a step back with the suddenness of the motion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay by your side. You already have my respect, Sakuya.” The shorter boy freezes, if only for a moment, expression softening as he stares at Juza’s outstretched hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you want to hold my hand, you don’t need to offer me a handshake.” Juza blushes with the realization, dropping his arm and turning to walk up ahead of Sakuya. “Hey, wait! Juza!” Sakuya jogs to cut the distance quickly, finding Juza all red in the face. Cute... </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“S’not fair. I’m not good with words like you are.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s alright.” Sakuya takes Juza’s hand, intentionally this time, and squeezes gently. “You know, there’s a cake shop nearby. Why don’t we celebrate our performance today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Sure.” Sakuya smiles, knowing that the dessert might lift up Juza’s spirits, even if he won’t say so. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright then! I wonder what flavor I’ll get…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Strawberries are in season.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well now I’m craving strawberry cake… but I was thinking about lemon… Should I just get them all?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “A-all of them?” Juza exclaims, and Sakuya laughs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, why not? I think we both deserve it.” Juza smiles, and Sakuya swears his heart’s going to beat out of his chest one day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I think so too.”  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i am once again asking everyone to get into jusaku</p></blockquote></div></div>
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